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Earlier editions: 20222019

Chapter 11 — STORM DRAINAGE

1103.4 Side Walls Draining onto a Roof — 2025 California Plumbing Code

California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-25 · California

CBSC: official editions, supplements and errata

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

Cite as: 2025 California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) § 1103.4 · Effective January 1, 2026 · Official source: Building Standards Commission

Where vertical walls project above a roof to permit storm water to drain into the roof area below, the adjacent roof area shall be permitted to be computed from Table 1103.1 as follows:

(1) For one wall – add 50 percent of the wall area to the roof area figures.

(2) For two adjacent walls of equal height – add 35 percent of the total wall areas.

STORM DRAINAGE

TABLE 1103.1 SIZING ROOF DRAINS, LEADERS, AND VERTICAL RAINWATER PIPING2, 3
SIZE OF
DRAIN,
LEADER,
OR PIPE
FLOW MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HORIZONTAL PROJECTED ROOF AREAS AT VARIOUS RAINFALL RATES
(square feet)
inches gpm1 1 (in/h) 2 (in/h) 3 (in/h) 4 (in/h) 5 (in/h) 6 (in/h) 7 (in/h) 8 (in/h) 9 (in/h) 10 (in/h) 11 (in/h) 12 (in/h)
2 30 2880 1440 960 720 575 480 410 360 320 290 260 240
3 92 8800 4400 2930 2200 1760 1470 1260 1100 980 880 800 730
4 192 18 400 9200 6130 4600 3680 3070 2630 2300 2045 1840 1675 1530
5 360 34 600 17 300 11 530 8650 6920 5765 4945 4325 3845 3460 3145 2880
6 563 54 000 27 000 17 995 13 500 10 800 9000 7715 6750 6000 5400 4910 4500
8 1208 116 000 58 000 38 660 29 000 23 200 19 315 16 570 14 500 12 890 11 600 10 545 9600

For SI units: 1 inch = 25 mm, 1 gallon per minute = 0.06 L/s, 1 inch per hour = 25.4 mm/h, 1 square foot = 0.0929 m [2]

Notes: 1 Maximum discharge capacity, gpm (L/s) with approximately 1 3 ⁄ 4 inch (44 mm) head of water at the drain. 2 For rainfall rates other than those listed, determine the allowable roof area by dividing the area given in the 1 inch per hour (25.4 mm/h) column by the desired rainfall rate. 3 Vertical piping shall be round, square, or rectangular. Square pipe shall be sized to enclose its equivalent round pipe. Rectangular pipe shall have not less than the same cross-sectional area as its equivalent round pipe, except that the ratio of its side dimensions shall not exceed 3 to 1.

(3) For two adjacent walls of unequal height – add 35 percent of the total common height and add 50 percent of the remaining height of the highest wall. (4) Two opposite walls of same height – add no additional

area.

(5) Two opposite walls of differing heights – add 50 percent of the wall area above the top of the lower wall. (6) Walls on three sides – add 50 percent of the area of the inner wall below the top of the lowest wall, plus an allowance for the area of the wall above the top of the lowest wall, in accordance with Section 1103.4(3) and Section 1103.4(5) above. (7) Walls on four sides – no allowance for wall areas below the top of the lowest wall – add for areas above the top of the lowest wall in accordance with Section 1103.4(1), Section 1103.4(3), Section 1103.4(5), and Section 1103.4(6) above.

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